Although you might think that chartering a private jet within the UK for a domestic flight is somewhat indulgent, we do see a healthy and growing volume of traffic, particularly between London and Scotland and the mainland UK and Northern Ireland.

This is principally driven by industry, for example between London and Aberdeen, the ‘capital’ of the domestic UK oil industry servicing North Sea production, but we do also see some corporate traffic – for instance, based on events such as corporate shoots at some of Scotland’s finest estates or grouse moors.

Increasingly however, we are also seeing growing demand from high end tourism – such as wealthy international parties wishing to experience what they perceive to be a quintessentially British lifestyle. This can include weekends hiking, shooting, fishing or stalking, whilst staying in historical luxury lodges and castles across the country. It sounds like a niche market, however it is definitely one which is growing and which is based on a strong British brand overseas and the perception of British culture held by some in recently developed and fast growing economies such as China and Brazil.

Interestingly, the cost for chartering a private jet within the UK is not hugely prohibitive – a small jet with 4-6 passengers from London to Inverness, for example, can work out to just over £1000 per head.

Aside from business and tourism, chartering a private jet can make some of the most beautiful and remote areas of the UK far more accessible, allowing you to arrive in comfort and luxury and cutting out hours of travelling by car – in our view as good a reason as any to get on and book!

We have looked before at what we believe is a fair reflection of the ten busiest international air routes, however we also thought, having seen the reports suggesting Las Vegas McCarran International was closed to private jets in the build up to the Mayweather – Pacquiao fight because of a lack of space, that it would be interesting to look at some of the busiest airports globally for private jet travel.

1. Paris Le Bourget, France (IATA: LBG)

To the wider public, Paris Le Bourget airport – open only to general aviation – is probably best known for hosting the Paris Air Show biannually. To those who fly by private jet, however, it is better known as one of the busiest European airports for private aviation. Handling 54,971 movements (fixed wing and helicopter) in 2013, the airport has three runways and can cater for all aircraft types.

More importantly for business aviation, the airport boasts more FBO’s (private terminals) than any other general aviation airport in the world, ensuring the highest levels of comfort and efficiency that one could plausibly expect. These include:

Advanced Air Support

Dassault Falcon Service

Jetex

Landmark Aviation

Signature Flight Support

Unijet – Abelag

Universal Aviation France

The airport itself is situated 11km north east of Paris, significantly closer than Paris Charles de Gaulle (IATA: CDG – 25km north east of the city) and Paris Orly (IATA: ORY – 13 km south of Paris.)

2. Teterboro Airport, New Jersey, Unites States (IATA: TEB)

Teterboro Airport is located only 19km’s from Midtown Manhattan – which, when you consider the huge scale of the urban area of New York City, makes it an incredibly convenient airport for those travelling to the Big Apple by private jet. The airport maintains a weight limit of 100,000 lbs per aircraft, which largely limits traffic to general aviation, as was the intention.

On top of the lack of commercial traffic, the airport also benefits from five FBO’s – second only to Paris Le Bourget on a global scale. Again, this will all but ensure that any whims and requirements on behalf of incoming or outgoing passengers are more than catered for. The FBO’s are:

Atlantic Aviation

Landmark Aviation

Jet Aviation

Meridian Teterboro

Signature Flight Support

3. London Luton Airport, UK (IATA: LTN)

Although further from the city centre of London than both Le Bourget and Teterboro are from the cities they respectively serve, London Luton is only 2 miles from junction 10a on the M1, meaning for those arriving at Luton by private jet there is very quick access to the city centre by car. Equally, there is a train service directly from the airport to London St. Pancras station, which takes just over 30 mins.

The airport itself is the UK’s busiest for private jet traffic, despite also being an active commercial international airport. There are 3 FBO’s on site to service all general aviation traffic, allowing for all corporate or VIP passengers to transit the airport with speed and in complete comfort.

The FBO’s are:

Harrods Aviation

Landmark Aviation

Signature Flight Support

4. Van Nuys Airport, Los Angeles, United States (IATA: VNY)

Of all airports solely serving general and private aviation, Van Nuys is perhaps the most well know in terms of a general awareness amongst the wider public. Situated towards the north western city limits of Los Angeles in the San Fernando valley, the airport has featured in many films and TV shows, as well as being the gateway to Hollywood for many a film star or celebrity.

With approximately 260,000 movements in 2013, Van Nuys is one of the busiest airports in the world for private aviation. There are four FBO’s on site at Van Nuys, all fully equipped to service flights into and out of the airport. These are:

Signature Flight Support East

Signature Flight Support West

Castle & Cooke Aviation

Clay Lacy Aviation

The airport is only 17km from Hollywood, or a 20 minute drive, or alternatively is a 20 minute drive to the centre of Los Angeles itself.

Those travelling by private jet to Dubai have been facing something of a conundrum over recent years; which airport to fly into.

Until 2014, the only choice was Dubai International (IATA: DXB); however, in keeping with the speed of development in the Gulf, and the emergence of Dubai as a global aviation hub connecting the far east with Europe and Africa, there are now concerted efforts underway to move all private and corporate aviation to Dubai World Central in order to ease the volume of traffic heading to Dubai International.

With four FBO’s operating at Dubai World Central, there will be no lowering of standards when it comes to the levels of luxury, pampering, efficiency and comfort that is available to those passing through the terminals. In fact, quite the opposite: with more space and less traffic, it is likely there will be less queues and delays for incoming passengers, meaning it is very plausible that those flying into Dubai World Central will be able to travel to the centre of Dubai more quickly than from Dubai International, despite being further away.

Currently, the FBO’s include:

DC Aviation Al-Futtaim

ExecuJet Middle East

Jet Aviation Dubai

JetEx Flight Support

Dubai World Centre is located 37km south west of Dubai, approximately a 30 minute drive.

For all private jet charter to Paris, London, New York, LA or Dubai, request a quote.

For those who have yet to familiarise themselves with private jet empty legs, the concept is simple – every time a private jet is booked for a journey, the aircraft must return empty to its home base, or reposition to its next assigned airport.

Aircraft operators will often sell these ’empty legs’ at a discounted rate in order to recoup some of the cost of the flight, and therefore they can offer a cost effective means of chartering a private jet. Villiers Jets are able to offer a wide selection of these flights directly to our clients.

A large part of the inherent appeal of travelling by private jet is the ability to travel at a time and date of your own choosing, and although empty legs by their very nature remove a good degree of this freedom, for those who have the ability to be flexible with their schedule, or for those who love to live in the moment, empty legs represent a good opportunity to travel in the comfort and luxury of your own private aircraft for significantly less than face value.

We list a selection of upcoming empty legs on our website and update this weekly, giving you the chance to browse and book available routes with ease. For our latest available empty legs, please visit www.villiersjets.com/emptylegs/.

With the end of January now in sight and Easter slowly heaving into view, now is the perfect time to start planning ahead for your spring break. And what better way to spend your holiday than out in the fresh, invigorating mountain air, indulging in some incredible skiing, and immersing yourself in the breathtaking landscapes?

Europe’s best ski resorts are all easily reached by private jet, with smaller airports such as Sion (Switzerland), Chambery (France) and Lugano (Italy) offering far quicker access to your favourite pistes than the larger international airports servicing scheduled flights.

Travelling to the Alps by private jet is a transformative experience. Gone are the days of enduring crowded airports, queues, delays, and lost luggage or equipment. Gone are the anti-social departure times at the crack of dawn. Gone are the lengthy and time consuming transfers at the other end.

The beauty of flying privately is that everything is done to your own schedule, allowing you to spend more time doing the things that matter to you – whether that’s time with the family, time in the office, or enjoying more time on the slopes.

Smaller, private aircraft offer far greater access to a wider range of airports than their larger scheduled cousins, often simply because these airports are too small to handle the larger aircraft operated by commercial operators.

In practical terms, the result is that you will touch down far closer to your final destination, shortening dramatically the amount of time spent transferring to your chosen ski resort. For example, by flying in to Sion Airport in Switzerland rather than Geneva, up to 75 minutes are shaved off the average transfer time to Verbier, one of the most popular destinations amongst our clients at this time of year.

And with total flexibility on your departure time and dates, you have complete freedom to enjoy your holiday precisely as you wish, and exactly as it should be.

The WEF brings together some of the world’s leading figures from industry, economics, politics, social sciences and academia every year in Davos, Switzerland. It’s a four day forum of discussion aimed at conflict resolution, improving economic growth, solving environmental issues, and business networking which is unparalleled in terms of breadth and scope throughout the globe.

This year (2017) the event is held from January 17th to January 20th. The closest airport servicing international commercial air traffic is Zurich, which is a two hour drive (148 km’s) from Davos. However, for private aviation and those chartering an aircraft, the closest airport is Samedan (St. Moritz), a much closer 75km’s from Davos.

If you would like to charter a private aircraft or helicopter to the World Economic Forum at Davos, please get in touch and we will take care of any requirements you may have.